2013 AL West Predictions – All Star Break Update

July 15, 2013

It is almost time for the All-Star Game, which is a good time to review the predictions that I made at the beginning of the season. It is also a good time to make some mid-season adjustments. Let’s take a look at how I had the AL West finishing:

1 Angels
2 Athletics
2 Rangers
4 Mariners
5 Astros

The Angels are the only team in this division not living up to my expectations. Other than that, these predictions are looking good.

1 Angels – The Angels are the tops in the league. With Mike Trout, Albert Pujols, Mark Trumbo and Josh Hamilton providing the offense and C.J. Wilson and Jered Weaver at the top of their rotation, the sky is the limit for this club. The Angels have not been producing. There is no reason that the talent on this team should not have them on top.

2 Athletics – The A’s proved that a small budget team can make it through a full season and come out on top. They will probably not repeat as division champs, but their youth will serve them well. They should be competing for a wild card spot when September rolls around. The A’s have the second best record in the AL. They have been playing well and should make the playoffs.

2 Rangers – They lost Josh Hamilton (to the Angels), but the picked up A.J. Pierzynski. Pierzynski will not fully replace Hamilton’s bat, but he will provide offense, defense, and he tends to ruffle the feathers of opponents. The Rangers and the Athletics will battle all season, and they may pick up both of the wild card spots. The Rangers will be battling the A’s for the division title. The Rangers will settle for the Wild Card spot.

4 Mariners – The Mariners have Felix Hernandez, but the rest of their rotation is questionable. Their defense is also suspect. They will score some runs, but it won’t be enough to overcome the Rangers, Athletics, and Angels. The Mariners are looking like they will be locked into fourth place this season, well ahead of the Astros but well behind the big 3 in this division.

5 Astros – Two straight 100 loss seasons and a switch to a different league are not promising indicators for how this season is shaping up to be. Add to that the lowest payroll in baseball, and things look downright awful for the Astros. They may break 100 losses for a third straight year. But their uniforms sure do look nice this season. They are on a pace for 105 losses. But they sure do look good.

This looks like a very strong division. The Angels should win it pretty easily, with the Athletics and Rangers tying for second. The Mariners are not yet ready to crash the party and the Astros will struggle in their first year in the AL. Except for the Angels, these predictions look solid. The A’s and Rangers are separated by only a couple of games at this point. The Mariners are mired in 4th and the Astros are just providing fodder for the other teams.

My updated AL West predictions:

1 Athletics
1 Rangers
3 Angels
4 Mariners
5 Astros

The A’s and Rangers may very well tie for the division lead. The Angels will finish a solid third with the Mariners and Astros bringing up the rear.

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